While Halloween may have passed, its spirit remains a tangible presence in the cold autumn air. Make no mistake; November remains a time for shocks and thrills, and the ideal opportunity for industry disruptors to make their mark.
ParcelsPlease.com has certainly embodied this spirit, by cultivating a wicked playful service that is sure to have an impact on customers.
Not only this, but it has also proved how traditional postal services can continue to challenge innovation (even in an increasingly digital age).
How has ParcelsPlease.com usurped technology?
The service, which was unveiled in time for Halloween, was designed to capitalise on the fact that 64% of Brits admit to spoilers ruining their enjoyment of TV shows. So, as part of a devilish plan, ParcelsPlease.com allowed customers to send specific spoilers and key reveals to their friends in the form of a non-descript, next-day package featuring giant lettering.
They could also choose the TV program that they wanted to spoil (with Game of Thrones unsurprisingly the most popular choice).
Aside from raising brand awareness and leveraging Halloween as a disruptive marketing hook, this initiative also sent a wider message about the traditional postal industry. More specifically, brands within this space retain the creativity and ability to thrive in the digital age, while also promoting their service and optimising exposure among core customer segments.
So, even in an age where customers access their favourite programs on demand and watch episodes back-to-back, postal service innovators can still disrupt this technology and make their own, distinct mark.
Does this type of initiative represent a fad or a timely reminder?
You can read as much or as little as you want into this, of course, and this will determine whether you perceive it as a marketing fad or a genuine reminder of the postal service’s ability to disrupt and maintain relevance.
On a fundamental level, however, it certainly highlights the importance of creative thinking, and how this still has a huge role to play in helping companies to establish themselves and their proposition in the modern age. It also underlines the fact that creative thinking remains central to brand’s engagement efforts; ahead of technology, data and core marketing spend.
While you would be unlikely to be happy having received a spoiler, of course, you cannot help but admire the innovative nature of the idea. You would find it hard to dispute its effectiveness, especially given how the spoilers managed to disrupt even flexible, on-demand viewing.
